A Toyohashi Tech researcher, in cooperation with researchers at Duke University, has invented a production method for oxidation-resistant copper alloy nanoparticles for printed electronics. These novel nanoparticles were produced by an environmentally friendly and economical 'wire explosion' method. This invention will expand the application range of printed electronics.

"Printed electronics" has the potential to enable low-cost fabrication of electronics on flexible or curved surfaces, which will lead to the use of electronics in more varied applications. We will be able to fabricate homemade mobile phones or smart watches using a printer in the future. However, the low performance and high cost of current conductive inks limit the advancement of printed electronics.

Now, researchers at Toyohashi Tech and Duke University have found a way to produce new copper alloy nanoparticles, which can be used as the main component of affordable conductive inks with high oxidation resistance. The researchers electrically exploded alloy or twisted metal wires in water with a mild reducing agent (Vitamin C) in order to produce the nanoparticles. The reduction in conductivity was subsequently measured under harsh conditions (high temperature and high humidity).

"We have been working on developing a 'wire explosion' method to produce novel metal nanoparticles. Then, we found that some of the produced copper alloy nanoparticles possessed both high oxidation resistance and low electrical resistance," explains Assistant Professor Go Kawamura. "Moreover, the nanoparticles have the advantage of being inexpensive because the production process is very economical and environmentally friendly."

As a result, copper nanoparticles alloyed with 1% Sn, 5% Ag, 5% Ni, or 30% Ni had electrical conductivities similar to that of copper; however, unlike copper, the nanoparticles remained conductive after 24 h at 85 °C and 85% relative humidity. With further improvement of the electrical conductivity and oxidation resistance, copper alloy nanoparticles prepared by wire explosion could be used for the production of high-performance affordable conductive inks, which will contribute to the advancement of printed electronics. The researchers also hope this work motivates additional study of combining wire explosion with chemical modification of the explosion medium to control the composition and surface chemistry of nanoparticles.

VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland is developing new techniques for the production of metallic nanoparticles. VTT's new production reactor, operating at atmospheric pressure, reduces the production costs of multicomponent ...

A low-cost, high-speed method for printing graphene inks using a conventional roll-to-roll printing process, like that used to print newspapers and crisp packets, could open up a wide range of practical applications, including ...

(PhysOrg.com) -- Almost all electronic devices contain printed circuit boards, which are patterned with an intricate copper design that guides electricity to make the devices functional. In a new study, researchers have taken ...

Researchers in AMBER, the Science Foundation Ireland-funded materials science research centre, hosted in Trinity College Dublin, have used the wonder material graphene to make the novelty children's material silly putty (polysilicone) ...

(Phys.org)—For the first time, researchers have simulated particles that can spontaneously self-assemble into networks that form geometrical arrangements called Archimedean tilings. The key to realizing these structures ...

Scientists at The University of Manchester and Karlsruhe Institute of Technology have demonstrated a method to chemically modify small regions of graphene with high precision, leading to extreme miniaturisation of chemical ...

Machine learning, a field focused on training computers to recognize patterns in data and make new predictions, is helping doctors more accurately diagnose diseases and stock analysts forecast the rise and fall of financial ...

The next time you place your coffee order, imagine slapping onto your to-go cup a sticker that acts as an electronic decal, letting you know the precise temperature of your triple-venti no-foam latte. Someday, the high-tech ...

0 comments

Please sign in to add a comment.
Registration is free, and takes less than a minute.
Read more

Click here to reset your password.
Sign in to get notified via email when new comments are made.